6 Ways Culver's Is Changing In 2026

If you haven't tried Wisconsin-based fast food joint Culver's quite yet, you can somewhat be forgiven. After all, the chain has locations in 26 states — barely more than half the country. In all seriousness, Culver's has gone from regional delight to widely known fan favorite in a relatively short amount of time. The chain serving up classic Midwestern style burgers and frozen custard has been on a hot streak lately, opening as many as 50 or 60 stores a year across multiple states in the early half of the 2020s.

Piggybacking off of this growth, Culver's has some exciting things planned for 2026. Don't go thinking it's getting too big for its britches, though. The Culver's origin story is family-centered, and the chain still hopes to radiate warmth and nostalgia. In fact, you could even make the argument that Culver's is only getting more Midwestern as it expands. Many of the plans for 2026 involve leaning into heartland affectations. Most importantly, these plans sound delicious. Let's get into what Culver's has going on in 2026.

Things have been going well for Culver's, and the braintrust is smart enough not to mess too much with a good thing. "We want to try new, fun flavors that spark curiosity, while still staying grounded in who we are," said Culver's head of culinary, Kasey McDonald, in an interview with Tasting Table. While the company wants to push the envelope, there's still a strong impulse to take guest feedback as seriously as market trends. For instance, 2025 saw Culver's tweaking chicken sandwiches in crispy, spicy, and grilled varieties. Once there was a recipe that really resonated with customers, the sandwiches became permanent menu items.

Culver's has been expanding a lot in the early half of the 2020s. Expansion and growth inevitably bring change. Culver's now needs to appeal to more markets and a wider audience. The strategy, though, is a continuation of what works. Not suddenly throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. The growth that Culver's wants is predicated on people buying what the brand is selling, but also being open to guest feedback. It's a fine line to walk. Tweaking a second-tier menu item like chicken sandwiches while also, say, bringing back pub burgers and expanding the frozen custard menu? That's a great way to show customers that you'll listen to feedback, but won't mess with classics.

Culver's has had pub burgers as limited time offerings before, and 2026 will feature four new pub burger drops. While Culver's press release was vague about what these new pub burgers might include, customers have been told to expect both "unique protein pairings" and "the return of fan favorites." Fan favorites might include the Pretzel Haus Pub burger, which featured cheddar cheese, Wisconsin cheddar sauce, pickled onions, and a special Bistro sauce on a pretzel bun. Or maybe the Roasted Garlic and Bacon Pub Burger will make a comeback. That burger was so flavorful that a Redditor who usually finds Culver's mediocre was blown away by the taste.

Don't get us wrong, the standard ButterBurger at Culver's is great. When we tried and ranked signature fast food restaurant burgers, Culver's ButterBurgers received a very respectable third place. That said, pub burgers bring welcome variety to the menu. Slap a couple patties on a pretzel bun, add some more hair-on-your-chest flavors like roasted garlic or pickled onions, and you've got a unique creation that does things that fast food burgers don't normally do. Pub burgers are a great opportunity for Culver's culinary crew to flex a little bit, and a chance for customers to try bolder flavors. Everybody wins.

While we don't know exactly what this menu item will be yet, we like the way it's being teased. Culver's press release bills it as an item set to launch in the fall of 2026, "inspired by Wisconsin supper club traditions." This is one of those generations-old cultural traditions that includes a lot of things, but mainly made-from-scratch American cuisine. You can usually find a good fish fry at a supper club, or a menu full of traditional German fare, or even homemade brandy, if you're lucky. Whatever the picture Culver's ends up painting, we like the palette that's being used.

Supper clubs began as an after-church tradition for German immigrants, and thus are a staple of Wisconsin culture. The atmosphere at a supper club is casual — so casual, in fact, that sometimes you'll see a supper club closed simply because the proprietor went on a fishing trip. The idea almost seems like a Midwestern way of talking about what Southerners might call "down-home" cooking. We certainly have lofty expectations for whatever this concept from Culver's turns out to be.

Half the reason to go to Culver's is for the chance to indulge in some delicious frozen custard. Chocolate and vanilla are always around and always dependable, but Culver's fans know the fun comes with whatever the flavor of the day is. Good news on that front: In 2026, the chain will be adding two new flavors of the day. Extensive research was conducted to determine these flavors — talk about a dream job — and the two flavors will join Culver's roster of 30 flavors of the day. If you really enjoy a particular flavor of the day? Some savvy people on the internet have pointed out that the store may have extra pints available for purchase, if you ask.

Also joining the menu are pumpkin-inspired desserts, debuting in the fall. Given that the Midwest is a land with many pumpkin patches, we're betting that Culver's has a pretty good handle on this popular flavor. Adding all that ginger, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon to a Culver's frozen custard sounds like a match made in heaven. When the leaves start changing color this year? That's when it's time to head to Culver's.

Culver's is careful when developing new menu items. While experimentation with food trends is how restaurants stay fresh, this chain wants to make sure every menu item has an essential Culvers-ness to it. "Being from Wisconsin is something we're proud of, and it shows when you take a look at our menu items," Kasey McDonald said in a press release. What other chain would serve something as wondrous as a Curderburger? Not only that, but what other chain would give you the tools for an easy hack when you're craving a Culver's Curderburger year-round? There's something unique about Culver's, and that should be preserved.

Still, the call of new flavors cannot be ignored. A great example of staying true to roots while also branching out is how Culver's developed the jalapeño cheese curds. Jalapeño is a plant that is native to Mexico, not Wisconsin, so Culver's went looking for plenty of guest feedback on the new item when it debuted in 2025. Turns out, guests liked the spicier curd. After the jalapeño cheese curds experiment, Culver's not only gained a new side item, but a greater understanding of patrons.

It should be heartening for any Culver's fan that as the chain expands, it seems committed to not selling out. There should be a certain sense of nostalgia and comfort tied to Midwestern food, and Culver's is keeping that sentiment in mind.

Culver's loyalty program, Delicious Rewards, actually debuted near the end of 2025. The chain is hoping that the program will enhance customer experience in 2026. Delicious Rewards gives customers 10 points for every dollar spent, and points can be redeemed for free menu items. The program also offers free Culver's treats on your birthday and half birthday. How can you turn down free frozen custard on your half birthday?

Rewards programs at fast food joints are very useful, but aren't without tradeoffs. Any app tracking your purchases has at least a little bit of your data. We've talked before about how your McDonald's app knows way more about you than you think. Still, if you're a big Culver's fan, Delicious Rewards pays off. Not only do you get points that can be redeemed for food and drink, but you get updates. There's a lot of exciting stuff happening at Culver's in 2026. As new flavors of the day, limited time only items, and other Culver's news rolls out in 2026, the Delicious Rewards app is the best way to keep up to date.

Static Media owns and operates Daily Meal and Tasting Table.